Robert Cumber

A man proposed at Meadowhall in Sheffield today, and the way he did it melted the hearts of shoppers.

Erika Ducker thought she was just visiting the shopping centre with her partner Joe Davies to get her make-up done before going for dinner with some friends.

Joe pops the question to a stunned Erika (photo: Meadowhall)

So she was stunned when they passed a flash mob of dancers at the top of the escalators and he joined in, performing a specially rehearsed routine to Bruno Mars' Marry You, before getting down on one knee to pop the question.

The 27-year-old team manager, who lives with Joe and their five-year-old son in Mexborough, on the borders of Rotherham and Doncaster, was overwhelmed. But it didn't take her long to regain her composure and say yes.

"I just thought we were stopping to watch some dancing and the next thing I knew he was joining in. It's all a bit of a blur," she said.

"I never thought in a million years he was going to propose, especially not like that. We've always had a bit of a laugh saying he'd be too scared to do something like that in public but I guess he's proved me wrong."

Joe, aged 29, who works as an assistant manager at a storage company, chose to propose at the shopping centre as that is where the couple had their first date seven years ago, going for a meal together and then to the cinema.

He said he had been planning the proposal for six weeks, bringing in Dream Makers Party Productions to perform the flash mob dance, but had grown increasingly nervous as the day approached.

"Erika had been going on all this week about getting married and I've been trying to get her off the subject because I was so nervous, but luckily it went OK and she had no idea," he said.

Erika and Joe's family were there to witness the proposal, including little Oscar, who Erika said was always asking his dad 'when are you going to marry mummy?'

The happy couple, whose first date was at the shopping centre (photo: Meadowhall)

"The first thing he said to my sister and his nanny and grandad was 'my daddy's just kissed my mummy in front of all those people'.

Meadowhall posted photos of the special moment on its Facebook page, accompanied by the message: "Congratulations on your engagement Joe and Erika! We would have said yes to that dance too!"